Day 15: karaka thiruvizha, malaiyidu alankaram
The new chariot the priest has been speaking about was to have arrived today at 3pm but didn’t there was a death, so it got delayed a day. Alankaram is மாலையிடும் (Maalaiyidum) – because she’s a new ponnu getting married tomorrow she has a garland for her groom. Sweet!
Karaga thiruvizha – I photographed the karagam making process extensively. It’s a copper pot with spokes and a frame that allows flower maalas to be strung on it in a particular way. One done, it was carried by Prakash accompanied by the other men to the Sivan koyil kulam – there they bathed, get ready there by smearing chananam etc., wear sacred thread, Rangaradjou swami ties the kaappu, then there’s a puja and aradhanai, and the veera jati session happens in the back prakaram near the entrance to the kulam. 3 whips per man. Priest then picks the karagam, dances with it, returns it to Prakash who carries it out and back to the temple. It’s all quite the scene for the otherwise very sedate Vedapuriswara Koyil.